Method of installing door to closer shaft



Oct. 12, 1965 w. J. GOHR 3,210,839

METHOD OF INSTALLING DOOR TO CLOSER SHAFT Original Filed Sept. 16. 1960 IN V EN TOR. MLLIAM J. Gem

,4 rroymsy United States Patent NETHOD OF INSTALLING DOOR TO CLOSER SHAFT William J. Gohr, Arlington Heights, 11]., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Yale & Towne, Inc., New York, N.Y., a company of Ohio Continuation of application Ser. No. 56,438, Sept. 16, 1960. This application Apr. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 272,822 4 Claims. (Cl. 29446) This application is a continuation of my application, Serial No. 56,438 filed September 16, 1960 and entitled Door Installation Tool, which application now is abandoned.

This invention relates to a method of installing a door relatively to the shaft of a door closer on a door frame.

In the installations of the kind to which my invention relates, the door is so constructed as to conceal the closer shaft and the means that secure the door to the shaft. For that purpose, each face of the upper part of the door is made solid, and the securing means are arranged in an opening that extends through a vertical edge of the door. The door is installed while in an open position with its edge opening exposed, so that the securing means can be manipulated through that opening. Naturally, the shaft of the door closer first must be rotated to a position corresponding to the open position of the door, to enable the door to be secured in the proper relation to the shaft. However, the closer shaft is spring-urged to closing position, and therefore, it will be appreciated that positive means should be utilized to hold the closer shaft against rotation until the securing operation is completed.

For holding the shaft, it has been customary to adjust a hydraulic valve forming a part of hydraulic checking means with which the door closer is equipped. However, it has been found that the valve is not entirely satisfactory for that purpose. That is because the hydraulic checking means are designed to control the closing speed of the closer shaft, and generally will not be effective to lock the shaft in a particular position. Thus, even though the'valve may be closed as far as possible, the parts of the closer may allow a certain fluid seepage under the spring tension of the'shaft, so that the shaft will gradually rotate away from proper position. When that happens, a person installing the door has considerable difficulty, should he not complete the securing operation before the shaft rotates a substantial distance.

In accordance with my invention, I first rotate the shaft of the closer to energize the closer spring. I then key the closer shaft to a vertical frame surface of the doorway to positively lock the shaft against rotation by the energized closer spring. Then, while the closer shaft is thus locked against rotation, I next assemble the door to the closer shaft, and then after assembly of the door to the shaft, unkey the shaft from the vertical frame surf-ace whereby the closer spring applies a closing torque to the door through thes haft.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent consrtuctions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to preice vent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closer mounted in a door frame showing the closer shaft being rotated to energize the closer spring preparatory to keying the shaft to the vertical frame surface of the doorway by a tool in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the tool keying the closer shaft to the vertical frame surface of the doorway preparatory to assembling the door to the closer shaft;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing parts of the shaft and the securing means on the door; and

FIG. 4 illustrates the operation of securing the door in position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 show in FIG. 1 a portion of a door frame F including a horizontal upper part 10, that part being hollow and concealing a door closer 11. The closer 11 has a spring-tensioned shaft 12 extending vertically through an opening in the lower surface 13 of the horizontal frame part 10, and into the upper part of the doorway. In FIG. 2, I show also a port-ion of a door D, including an upper rail having spaced parts 14, 15 at opposed faces of the door. The spaced part-s 14, 15 form an opening 16 that extends through the vertical edge 17 of the door, and that accepts the closer shaft 12 when the door D is applied in an open position to the shaft. Further details of the vertical door edge 17 are not important to an understanding of my invention, and it is important merely to realize that the opening 16 extends through that edge of the door.

Mounted in position in the opening 16, as shown in FIG. 3, the door D has a part 18 adapted to coact with the closer shaft 12. A clamping part 19 will be inserted through the edge of the door into opening 16, and assembled to the part 18 by screws 20, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4, whereby to secure the closer shaft 12 in position relatively to the door D. The parts 18, 19 have surfaces 21, 22 that are complementary to the flat sides 23 on the shaft 12, thus holding the shaft so that it will rotate integrally with the door D. Of course, it will be appreciated that the securing operation must be effected while the closer shaft 16 is in a position corresponding to the open position of the door D, if the closer 11 is to operate properly.

In practicing my invention, I prefer to use a tool, generally indicated at T in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. As shown in FIGS. 1 and2, the tool T has a flat portion 24 adapted to lie against the horizontal upper doorway surface 13 of the frame F. Also, the flat portion 24 is sufficiently narrow to be accepted in the opening 16 in the edge of the door. In the end of the portion 24, I form a slot 25 that fits the closer shaft 12 so that the shaft and tool cannot rotate relatively to each other. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shaft 12 has a particular flat sided portion 26 with which slot 25 coacts, but those person-s skilled in the art may very well arrange the necessary keying between slot 25 and shaft 12.

The tool T has also an angular portion 27 so bent as to lie in position against an outer surface '28 on the door frame F when the tool is applied to the closer shaft 11. The angular portion 27 of my tool is relatively wide so as to contact the frame surface 28 over a relatively wide area, with opposed ends 29, 30 of said portion 27 preferably bent so as to have a definite seating engagernent with the surface 28. It will be understood that tool T cannot then rotate relatively to the door frame F, and will lock the closer shaft 11 against rotation.

In practicing my invention, I rotate the closer shaft 12 against its spring tension to a position corresponding to the open position of the door. For this purpose, I may use a tool, such as shown at 31 in FIG. 1. 1 next slip the tool T int-o assembled relation to the shaft 12 and against frame surface 13, as shown in FIG. 2, after which the wrench 31 is removed. Thus the shaft 26 is keyed to the frame surface 13 looking the shaft 26 against rotation by the tensioned closer spring. Next, the door D, which has been placed at approximately 90 to its closed position, as shown in FIG. 2, is applied to the closer shaft 12, the door then being in the position shown in FIG. 4 with its opening 16 accepting the fiat tool portion 24. The complementary door securing part 19 then will be inserted through the opening 16 and secured by the screws 20. The tool T is then removed so that the door is closed by the closer. The spring tension of the closer shaft 12 naturally will tend to bind the tool T in the assembled position shown in FIG. 4, but a slight pressure applied in an opening direction to the door D will relieve the binding, so that the tool T can be very easily removed.

I believe that those persons skilled in the art will now appreciate that I have contributed a novel method which will enable a door to be very readily secured to the shaft of a door closer.

I now claim:

1. A method of installing a door swingable about a rotatable door closer shaft that projects vertically from a door frame in a doorway, said closer shaft having a strong spring torque for closing a door, comprising rotating said shaft to energize said spring, keying said shaft to the vertical frame surface of the doorway to lock said shaft against rotation by said energized spring, assembling the door to the closer shaft while the door is in an open position and while said closer shaft is so locked against rotation, and after assembly of the door to the closer shaft, unkeying the shaft from the vertical frame surface whereby the energized spring applies a closing torque to the door through said shaft.

2. A method of installing a door swingable about a rotatable door closer shaft that projects vertically from a door frame in a doorway, said closer shaft having a strong spring torque for closing a door, comprising rotating said shaft to energize said spring, moving a tool in keying relation to the closer shaft, while the said spring is energized, holding the said tool against rotation by engagement with a vertical frame surface of the door to lock said shaft against rotation by said energized spring, assembling the door to the closer shaft while the door is in open position and while said closer shaft is locked against rotation by said tool, and after assembly of the door to the closer shaft, removing the tool whereby the ener- 4 gized spring applies a closing torque to the door through said shaft.

3. A method of installing a door swingable about a rotatable door closer shaft that projects vertically from a door frame in a doorway, said closer shaft having a strong spring torque for closing a door, comprising r-otating said shaft to energize said spring, moving a tool into juxtaposed relation to a lower surface of the upper portion of the door frame, while placing one end of said tool in keying relation to the closer shaft, and positioning the other end of said tool against a vertical frame surface of the doorway whereby .to lock said tool and said shaft against rotation by said spring, assembling the door to the closer shaft while the door is in open position and while said closer shaft is locked against rotation by said tool, and after assembly of the door to the closer shaft, removing the tool whereby the spring applies a closing torque to the door through said shaft.

4. A method of installing a door swing-able about a rotatable door closer shaft that projects vertically from a horizontal portion of a door frame, said closer shaft having a strong spring torque for closing the door, comprising rotating a door closer shaft to tension a closer spring while the closer is mounted in a door frame, keying said closer shaft to a vertical surface of said door frame by keying one end of a tool to said shaft and restraining the other end of said tool from movement by engagement with a vertical surface of said door frame whereby to lock said tensioned shaft against rotation, assembling a door to said closer shaft while the door is in open position and while said tensioned shaft is locked against rotation by said tool, and thereafter removing said tool whereby the closer spring applies a closing torque to the door through said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 503,243 8/93 Labudde et a1 16-185 831,236 9/06 Ocumpaugh 16-185 1,875,209 8/32 Baldwin 151-62 2,387,545 10/45 Veney 81-13 2,597,459 5/52 Dickinson et al 16-197 2,734,258 2/56 Shultz 29-1564 3,059,328 10/ 62 Krause 29-404 3,101,507 8/63 Cecala 16-129 3,115,665 12/63 Cecala 16-129 FOREIGN PATENTS 281,870 12/ 27 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF INSTALLING A DOOR SWINGABLE ABOUT A ROTATABLE DOOR CLOSER SHAFT THAT PROJECTS VERTICALLY FROM A DOOR FRAME IN A DOORWAY, SAID CLOSER SHAFT HAVING A STRONG SPRING TORQUE FOR CLOSING A DOOR, COMPRISING ROTATING SAID SHAFT TO ENERGIZE SAID SPRING, KEYING SAID SHAFT TO THE VERTICAL FRAME SURFACE OF THE DOORWAY TO LOCK SAID SHAFT AGAINST ROTATION BY SAID ENERGIZED SPRING, ASSEMBLING THE DOOR TO THE CLOSER SHAFT WHILE THE DOOR IS IN AN OPEN POSITION AND WHILE SAID CLOSER SHAFT IS SO LOCKED AGAINST ROTATION, AND AFTER ASSEMBLY OF THE DOOR TO THE CLOSER SHAFT, UNKEYING THE SHAFT FROM THE VERTICAL FRAME SURFACE WHEREBY THE ENERGIZED SPRING APPLIES A CLOSING TORQUE TO THE DOOR THROUGH SAID SHAFT. 